Air Quality & Weather Systems

One of the most challenging road construction and ITS projects currently underway is the upgrading of the road from Bogota to Villavicencio. Currently it takes four hours to make the 86km journey between Bogota and Villavicencio using the existing single lane in each direction road which passes through some very challenging terrain. It is the only ground connection between central Colombia and the eastern region which represents 40% of the country’s territory.

Swarco Traffic Americas is to install new parking guidance technology in a ten-level parking garage for Monarch Casino Black Hawk in Black Hawk, Colorado. The system involves a combination of single space monitoring as well as indoor and outdoor garage variable message signage. Each parking space will be monitored by 1,265 state of the art ultrasonic sensors above each parking space to detect vehicles as they park. Vacant spaces are indicated by LED lights. Space availability data from the sensors will t

The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) has selected Iteris’ cloud-based maintenance decision support system (MDSS), ClearPath Weather, to provide state-wide weather forecasting services for improved winter road maintenance response. ClearPath Weather will provide AHTD with web-based access to high-resolution pavement weather forecasting and treatment alternatives at designated locations around the state during winter weather events. Additionally, AHTD will have available use of I

Vaisala has recently completed the first full-scale installation of 12 next generation RWS200 road weather stations for Cornwall County Council in the UK. The system, including Vaisala’s RoadDSS information services, is now fully operational, just in time for winter driving conditions. The Council decided to invest in the latest road weather sensing technology to enhance the winter service of the county’s highways. Vaisala weather stations are designed to provide highly accurate information for road ma

Two projects which highways technology company Rennicks says could set the blueprint for a fresh approach to road safety have sparked a double celebration for the company. It has landed the title of Road Marking Project of the Year at the recent Highways Magazine Excellence Awards for a ground-breaking scheme in Scotland using solar-powered active road stud technology. And the company also clinched an ITS Ireland ITS Excellence award after providing the largest solar-powered variable message signs for t

Work begins shortly on the initial phase of a US$278 million project to improve the M3 between the M25 and Farnborough. The section between junctions 2 and 4a will become a smart motorway, adding a fourth lane in both directions in place of the hard shoulder and adding enhanced on-road technology to keep traffic moving safely and reliably, providing a boost for businesses and the wider economy. The road will also be resurfaced with a new, low noise material. The main works are due to be completed by the

David Crawford cherrypicks conference and award highlights Almost 30% of all US citizens live in rural areas or very small communities, and 34 of the 50 states exceed this level in their own populations, with the proportions rising as high as 85%. And although rural routes carry only 35% of all traffic, the accidents that occur on them account for some 54% of all US road traffic accident deaths.

A new research report by MarketsandMarkets, "Smart Highway Market by Technology (Intelligent Transportation Management, Intelligent Traffic Management, Communication, Monitoring), and by Display (Variable Message Signs, Digital Signage) - Global Forecast to 2019", estimates that the global Smart Highways Market is US$12,564.4 million in 2014 and is expected to grow to US$27,992 million in 2019. This represents an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.4 per cent from 2014 to 2019. In the cur

In a new effort to warn drivers to focus on the road, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is using its more than 250 dynamic message signs on interstates and major highways to send safety messages to drivers. The state says speeding, impaired driving, not wearing seatbelts and distracted driving are some of the leading causes of the 550 deaths to date in 2014. "Messages like ‘Put Down Your Phone and Drive, It Can Wait' or ‘Leave All Tailgating at the Game' are designed to raise awareness o

The UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL)’s chief executive Rob Wallis, attending the United Nations Climate Summit in New York last week, was delighted to be able to pledge TRL’s support to the UEMI initiative, by UN-Habitat. “The UEMI initiative, aimed at substantially increasing the adoption of electric vehicles within urban environments, aligns strongly with TRL’s own strategy and current activities,” Wallis explained. “TRL is actively engaged in leading innovative research programmes to understan